Start Open Water Diving
IANTD Open Water Diver is an entry-level scuba course for people who want comprehensive training to become confident novice divers. The official IANTD course page describes the program as developing the skills and knowledge needed for safer beginning divers and for building confidence and responsibility in underwater discovery. The course leads students through the core pieces of scuba training: academics, confined-water practice, and open-water sessions.
The program is designed for new divers starting from the beginning. IANTD lists a minimum enrollment age of 10, with training materials based on the IANTD Open Water Student Kit. Successful completion qualifies divers to dive in open water to a maximum depth of 60 feet or 18 meters, accompanied by divers of at least the same level, without direct supervision from a Divemaster, Assistant Instructor, or Instructor, and within conditions equal to or better than those in training.
This is the place to learn how equipment works, how to manage buoyancy and basic skills, how to plan no-decompression dives, and how to behave as a responsible dive buddy. At Extreme Exposure in High Springs, Florida, the course should feel structured and practical rather than rushed, giving a new diver time to build comfort before moving into Open Water Nitrox Diver, Advanced Open Water Diver, Rescue Diver, or recreational specialties.
